


The Smell of Magic

by JusticeHawk



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Badass Mabel Pines, Bill Cipher Being Bill Cipher, Bill Cipher is a Jerk, Family Fluff, Gen, Gideon Gleeful Is A Creep, M/M, Magic, Magic Pines Twins, Protective Grunkle Stan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 03:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14440371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JusticeHawk/pseuds/JusticeHawk
Summary: “I hear you kids have recently come into a bit of,” he waved the cane which Dipper eyed wearily, “power.”“Power?” The brunette repeated slowly.“Yeah, power. You know.” The cane was removed as Cipher began gesturing about with his hands. “Abilities, gifts, skills not of this earthly realm.” He ticked up his eyebrow in a wry look. “I’m talkin magic here Pine Tree.”ORThe Pines Twins develop the peculiar ability to smell magic and it goes about as strangley as you'd imagine.





	The Smell of Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Aaayy its cha boi, back at it again with an old af Gravity Falls story. I recently dug this out of my tumblr and realized it wasn't up on here. Figured i'd go ahead and rectify that.

-Dipper-

Mabel wrinkled her nose as she stepped into the attic and then abruptly grinned. “Mm, cinnamon.” She chirped.

“Wha-seriously?” Dipper asked, sounding incredulous from his spot on the floor. He was surrounded by candles, all spread out in a neat and orderly circle around him. They provided the only light in the room but somehow, it seemed bright in there, and something about the air felt cleaner then it had before. “Does it really smell like cinnamon?” Dipper whined as Mabel carefully skipped around the candles, at one point cartwheeling over one while Dipper made a choked screeching sound.

“Yep,” the female twin replied, finishing her cartwheel and landing on her bed with a thump. Waddles wiggled over from the end where’d he previously been watching Dipper and curled up on her stomach. “Are those candles cinnamon scented or something?”

Dipped frowned. “No, they’re scentless which are weirdly hard to find for some reason.” Grin widening, Mabel rolled Waddles off her stomach and sat up. 

“Have you been using my lotion again?” She asked slyly, “trying to impress Weeeendyyy?”

“No!” Dipper denied immediately, voice cracking and squeaking and causing his twin to snort. A ruddy blush spread across his cheeks and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Shut up,” he grumbled with a pout, “I was just trying out this purification ritual I found.” 

“Ooooh.” Mabel cooed sounding appropriately awed. “What’s it do?”

“Um, well it’s supposed to bring good energy and fortune and stuff like that.” The boy mumbled. “Nothing fancy, I didn’t want to try anything big in case I messed up.”

“Neat!” The long haired brunette launched herself off the bed and landed in a sprawl next to Dipper. She grinned up at him. “So magic smells like cinnamon!” 

“What? No it,” the boy trailed off, “okay maybe it does.”

“Ha, cinnamon.” Mabel laughed poking him in the stomach causing Dipper to grunt and curl into a ball to get away from his twin’s poking.

“Ma-” poke, “Mabel cut it,” poke, “hmnnn,” the boy whined in defeat, clutching at his hat and frowning. 

“So now that our room smells better,” Dipper’s frown deepened, “we should totally summon a unicorn.”

“What?” Dipper shot her an incredulous look whilst smacking her hands away once again. “Mabel no, we’re not summoning anything. That’s dangerous, you remember Bill right? Bill Cipher, the powerful demon that broke into Gruncle Stan’s mind and took over my body?” 

Mabel shrugged with a grin. “You looked good in the priest outfit.” Dipped grinned at her. 

“Really? You think Wendy noticed?” Mabel made a weird face and waved her hand vaguely. 

“Right, never mind thats not the point.” Dipper’s serious frown fell back into place as he stood up. “Summoning anything in Gravity Falls is a bad idea and we’re not doing it.”

“Blargh.” His sister complained, sprawling out spread eagle. “Fine, no magic summoning fun times.”

“Thank you.” Dipper sighed and began gathering up the candles and putting them out. “Could you get the lights?”

“This looks like a job for-”

“Without the grappling hook?” Her twin stressed shooting her an amused look. Mabel sat up with a huff and shuffled over to the light switch. “You never let me have any fun.” She grumbled.

-Gideon-

“Why is pudding so awesome?” Mabel sighed as she shoved another spoonful of strawberry, banana, cotton candy pudding into her mouth, gleefully crunching up the colorful sprinkles. Her twin shrugged, not bothering to answer as he himself was absorbed in eating his much more average bowl of chocolate pudding. 

“I wonder why someone decided to open a pudding shop.” He said after a moment.

Mabel’s hand smacked over his mouth causing the boy to stop walking, lest he stumble. “Don’t question greatness.” She whispered seriously.

Dipper laughed as he smacked her hand away. “Cut it out, and you’ve gotta admit that it’s weird.” The long haired brunette shoved her spoon into her mouth and then made a wide, sweeping motion with her arm, gesturing to the town at large. Dipper looked around and then nodded in agreement. “Okay true, its Gravity Falls.”

Mabel laughed but then abruptly cut herself off with a loud gagging noise. “Guh!” She exclaimed, her free hand coming up to cover her nose. Dipper raised an eyebrow at her.

“You okay there?” He asked sounding a little wary and a lot amused. Mabel’s face scrunched up in disgust. Mabel replied by making a retching noise and coughing. 

“Blargh, what smells like rotting meat and burnt candy?”

“What?” Dipper asked incredulously as he sniffed the air. He quickly blanched and dropped his pudding, smacking both hands over his nose. “Oh gross!” The boy exclaimed. “What is that?!”Just as he got the words out a column of light appeared the next street over, followed by a ground shaking roar and a very distinctly familiar laugh.

Mabel’s eyes narrowed. “Gideon.” She swore in a slightly more nasally tone than usual. The twins turned to each other and with a determined look on his face, Dipper pulled out his journal.

___________

The door to the Mystery Shack burst open and two tired and bruised twelve year olds stumbled in. “That sucked.” Dipper proclaimed vehemently, getting all the way to the counter before he gave up and leaned against it. Mabel didn’t even get that far, instead just dropping to the floor with a groan. 

“Tireeed.” She whined miserably. Oinking curiously at the sight of Mabel on the floor, Waddles wandered over and nudged her with his snout. Lazily, Mabel wrapped her arms around him and rolled over so she was lying on his back. “Pig pillow.” 

“Whoa,” Wendy leaned over the counter to look at the two of them, “what happened to you guys?”

“Gideon.” Dipper replied with a tiny frown. Mabel grunted at the sound of the blonde boy’s name but made no move to get up. The redhead’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. 

“Seriously? Wasn’t he in jail?”

“He got out.” Dipper explained as he began to slide down the counter. “Got out, and unleashed a giant Gremoblin in the middle of town.”

Mabel shuddered, tightening her grip on Waddles. “So many mirrors.”

Wendy winced. “Yikes, is everything over now or are you looking for reinforcements?” 

“It’s over.” The younger twin assured, curling his knees against his chest. “Gideon got away but right now I honestly don’t care.”

Just then, Stan came pushing into the shop. “Soos, I need you to-” he cut himself off as he caught sight of his great niece and nephew. “Geez kids, what bus ran you over?”

“Gideon,” muttered Wendy and the twins in perfect unison.Stan scowled in contempt. 

“That little weasel broke out of jail?” He questioned walking over to Mabel and scooping her up. The girl made no protest and instead groaned in relief and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Broke out, and tried to kill us,” Dipper muttered and then corrected, “tried to kill me. He tried to marry Mabel.”

“Creeeep.” Mabel moaned into Stan’s shirt as the man picked up Dipper. Dipper made a startled noise and his hands dug into his Gruncle’s jacket.

“Wha-Gruncle Stan I can walk.” He protested as he and Mabel were carried out of the shop section of the shack. Behind them Wendy was smiling in amusement and with a short oink, Waddles began pattering along.

“Sure you can kid.” The conman agreed sounding as if he didn’t believe him even the slightest bit. “Shut up and let me fix the two of you up a little.

-Stan-

Dipper and Mabel watched in interest as Stan finished etching out quick, yet precise symbols on their arms. The man had carried them into the break room and set them down on the couch before leaving briefly. He came back with some sort of liquid in a jar that had several odd smelling bits and pieces mixed inside. "Don’t ask what’s in it.” Stan told them seriously. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.” He then processed to use said liquid to draw on them.

“Sooo,” Mabel mumbled sleepily, her head propped against Dipper’s shoulder. “What’s happening?” 

“Healing spell.” Stan replied simply as he placed one hand over each of their arms. Before either of them could question him about that, light and heat flared up under his palms, bathing the room in a warm greenish color. The twins sucked in quick breaths as a smell clouded the room along with the light. A smell like coffee and old books and something that seemed to be wholly like, protection.It was somehow both startling and comforting at the same time.

And then it was gone and Stan was moving his hands, standing from his kneeling position as he did. “There,” he ruffled there hair with a grin. “Now don’t say I never did anything for ya.” It was then that the twins noticed something, they were healed. All their little bruises and scrapes and injuries were gone, replaced with a faint warmth and a lingering contentment. 

“Whoa.” Mabel breathed, her eyes wide. “You can do magic?” Her brother asked dumbly and Stan snorted, pulling the rim of Dipper’s cap down over his eyes.

“Go get some sleep.” He ordered turning around and leaving the room. “If I see either of you in the shop for the rest of the day you’re grounded.” And then he was gone, leaving Mabel and Dipper alone in the break room. Well, aside from Waddles who was happily rolling around on the floor in a sunbeam. 

“That was pretty cool.” Dipper said at length.

“Agreed.” Mabel then flopped across his lap.  
“I need sleep, carry me.” Dipper laughed and shoved her hair into her face.

___________

“So maybe magic doesn’t just smell like cinnamon.” Mabel commented from her place, cocooned in a fortress of blankets and stuffed animals on her bed. They’d just woken up from a five hour long nap but were still too tired to try getting out of bed. Dipper opened one eye to stare at her from across the room. 

“Are you thinking about the thing with Gruncle Stan?” He muttered.

She nodded and it sent a chain reaction of movement through her stuffed animals. “Yeah, that and Gideon.”

“Gideon.” Dipper grumbled grumpily, fist clenching. He then frowned. “Wait Gideon?”

“Duh. Don’t you remember the smell?” She questioned.Light dawned on the male twin’s face. 

“Oh yeah.” He grimaced. “Like rotting meat.”

“And burnt candy.” Mabel added as if that made all the difference. Which it probably did considering it was Mabel. “So basically he smelled like evil.” 

“Gruncle Stan smelled like-” Dipper trailed off as he realized he was talking and blushed in embarrassment, covering his head with his blanket.Mabel grinned at him. 

“Coffee and old books and protection.” She chirped, unembarrassed to admit how comforting it had felt to feel her great uncle’s magic washing across her skin and taking the pain away. “It was nice.”Dipper mumbled something incomprehensible under his blanket and she laughed. “You look like a blanket monster.” She teased and only laughed more when his head popped out to scowl at her. 

“Shut up.” He grumbled tossing a pillow at her. It smacked her in the face and she laughed, hugging it tight. Dipped rolled his eyes at his twin’s antics and then frowned. “So what does this mean?”

“Huh?” Mabel’s eyes popped out from over his pillow and he raised any eyebrow.

“Smelling magic.” He explained. “We never could before and Gravity Falls is full of it.”

“You’re full of it.” Mabel replied cheerfully.

“Mabel,” he groaned, too tired to be annoyed, “this is serious.”

“No it’s not,” Mabel cooed back sitting up, pillow still clutched to her chest. “So we can smell magic now. Big whoop. Seems pretty neat so far.” Her eyes suddenly blew wide. “You think this means I can summon a unicorn now?!”

Dipper laughed despite himself. “Will you cut it out with the unicorn?” 

“Never!” The long haired twin declared bravely and tossed Dipper’s pillow back at him. It smacked him in the arm and he grinned mischievously as he rolled out of bed, another pillow in hand.“Oh, it’s on now.” 

Mabel grinned and grabbed two pillows of her own, standing on her bed with a squeak of the mattress springs.“Bring it on!” The two quickly forgot about all thoughts of magic and smells after that. For now at least.

-Bill-

The smell of lightning crackled through the air. It was a scent akin to ozone, a dangerous and powerful scent that sent the hairs on the back of Dipper’s neck twitching up. Put him on edge in a way he couldn’t explain, not even to Mabel. “Sheesh kid,” his captor snorted twirling his cane around languidly. “Glare at the floor a little harder why don’t ya?” Dipper flinched but didn’t look up, bound as he was in a circle of blue fire (and why did fire smell like lightning) and hovering just high enough off the ground to really hurt if the demon decided to drop him, he couldn’t dare to. 

Bill snorted and the tip of his cane smacked lightly against the frowning child’s cheek. “Don’t be like that kid, we’re all friends here.” There was a pause and a snicker. “Well, okay we’re not but hey! Be useful enough and I’ll let you keep your nose!”

Dipper went ever tenser at that and despite himself couldn’t resist glaring at the demon. Said demon grinned at him with far too human lips (since when had Cipher had a human body anyway) and looked strangely pleased. “There you are Pine Tree, I was wondering if you were still in there.“ 

"What do you want Bill.” Dipper replied coldly. If he was after the journal again, he was going to be in for one heck of a fight. Bill snorted. 

“Don’t be dramatic kid, I’m not here for the journal this time.” Dipper blinked in shock and the demon rolled his eyes leaning to the side to rest his weight lazily on his cane, grinning all the while. “No, no, I’m actually here for you this time!”

The brunette opened his mouth to snap out a retort only for it to slip closed. “I-what?”

“Yep!” Bill waved his free hand exuberantly. “Surprise! Aren’t you special kid?” The cane floated in place as its owner reached up to adjust his bow tie pompously. “The almighty and powerful Bill Cipher taking time out of his incredibly busy schedule just for you, and your sister.”

Dipper bristled. “You stay away from-” he gagged and instead of a threat a lizard dropped out of his mouth. It fell to the ground, wiggled about and then scurried off into the brush while Dipper looked on in nauseated horror. 

“Don’t get your pine needles in a twist kid.” Bill drawled looking somewhere between amused and annoyed. “You’re here aren’t you? Which means Shooting Star is tucked away safe and sound in the Mystery Hole. Whoop de do.” 

The boy frowned, now he was just confused. “Then why did you bring her up?”

Bill’s bored expression brightened back into its previous joy. “I’m glad you asked!” He chirped grabbing up his cane again. He twirled it like a baton before shooting the end of it towards Dipper’s face. The boy reared back as the tip came to a stop mere centimeters from his nose. 

“I hear you kids have recently come into a bit of,” he waved the cane which Dipper eyed wearily, “power.”

“Power?” The brunette repeated slowly.

“Yeah, power. You know.” The cane was removed as Cipher began gesturing about with his hands. “Abilities, gifts, skills not of this earthly realm.” He ticked up his eyebrow in a wry look. “I’m talkin magic here Pine Tree.”

“What?” Dipper blinked rapidly before beginning to look annoyed. “Magic? Look just because I tried out one purification ritual doesn’t mean-”

“I’m not talking about the ritual kid!” Bill snapped and the the fire around Dipper flared red in time with the demon’s eye before cooling back into a merrily flickering blue. Dipper froze, looking frightened while Bill smoothed his face back into a pleasant smile. “I’m talking about, the smells.”

“Smells.” The child croaked not daring to speak much louder then that and Bill hummed in pleased agreement.

“That’s right Pine Tree.” He purred in an oddly catlike way. “What do you smell right now?” Dipper tried not to think about the smell of electricity, of lightning and ozone and pure tongue tingling power dancing through the air. By the way Bill’s expression curled into an awful, smug smirk he hadn’t succeeded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He remarked, a strangely covetous gleam in his eye. “That’s why you’re coming with me kid.” 

“What?!” Dipper shrieked struggling against the fire that trapped him there. Screw the drop there was no way he was going anywhere with the psychotic demon!

“What’s wrong Pine Tree?” Bill snickered, watching his efforts with amusement. “Don’t you wanna work for me?”

“Don’t you need to make a deal to steal someone?!” The brunette screeched back in an accusatory panic. 

The demon shrugged. “Well I really should, a deal would make your servitude to me stronger, really solidify your devotion you know?” He grinned at the horrified look on Dipper’s face. “But it’s not really necessary, and I can just keep you locked away somewhere until you’re really loyal anyway. Besides, no point in risking you wiggling out of it. Not after the last deal I made with you.”

Dipper gaped at him incredulously, heart pounding loudly in his ears. “You tricked me and stole my body!” 

“Yes I did!” The demon agreed cheerfully. “And oh look,” he spread his hands in a shrug, “I’m doing it again! Only I guess this is more like kidnapping isn’t it?” He frowned, pondering the semantics before grinning again. 

“Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I found you, I’m taking you, you’re mine! In the end that’s all that matters isn’t it?!” Dipper grunted and kicked his feet out in an attempt hit the demon. Said demon tilted his torso back with a laugh. 

“Don’t be so glum kiddo, once I have you all safe and secure I’ll grab Shooting Star too so you won’t be lonely for long.” His grin was suddenly wicked. “They say it’s best to raise humans in pairs after all, something about company being better for their health blah blah blah.”

“You’re a monster.” Dipper spat, helpless tears welling in his eyes.

Bill just grinned at him, a little wider a little more covetous and a lot more vicious. “You better believe it Pine Tree.”

-Mabel-

Mabel slunk through the trees, the journal clutched in one hand and her grappling hook held in the other. Her expression was one of fixed determination. Dipper was missing, had been gone for hours on end when he’d only been heading out into the woods to check on the authors lab again. The fact that a trip that should’ve only taken him half an hour at the most was now stretching into three whole ones had every protective instinct inside of her screaming to go find him. Which was how she found herself standing at the edge of a clearing, staring up in horror as Bill taunted and cooed to her twin who looked increasingly more frightened with every word. 

Just as he was stroking the smaller brunette’s cheek, eye narrowed and flickering between red and blue she bristled and raised her grappling hook. She was angry, so angry it burned through her like hot caramel had replaced all the blood in her veins. And all she wanted to do was hurt Bill and get him away from her brother, her Dipper, her best friend in the whole world. She didn’t notice the crackling power floating about her as she took aim, sweetly scented like cotton candy, she didn’t need to. 

All she noticed was that when her grappling hook his Bill he screamed in pain, body convulsing even as the hook fell to the ground. He lost control of the fire and Dipper fell along with it, yelling in terror.

”Dipper!” Mabel cried, rushing towards her brother and skidding under him. He landed on her and they both grunted in pain at the force of the impact but it hurt both of them less then Dipper’s fall would’ve without her. Immediately they grabbed each other, curling tight around themselves for a moment before stumbling to their feet. Just in time for Bill had stopped screaming and was now panting harshly, red fire burning around him, eye wide and angry.

”Shooting Star.” He hissed, raising his hands with a crackle of lightning and ozone. “You reaaally shouldn’t have done that girl.” 

Mabel gulped but put on a brave front even as Dipper pushed her behind him, glaring back up at Bill. “Don’t you touch her!” He shouted, one hand wrapped firmly around her wrist like he was afraid Bill would snatch her right out of his hands.

Bill sneered, “or what Pine Tree, you’ll light a candle at me?” He flicked his hand and Dipper choked, dropping to his knees and grabbing his throat with panicked eyes. “You kids may be powerful but you have no idea how to control that power yet.” His face morphed into a sickly looking grin and he dropped a little closer to them. “But hey, I can be a good guy. You come with me Pine Tree, quietly, no fuss or fight, and I won’t punish Shooting Star for her little-” his angry red eye moved to look at Mabel, “stunt.”

Mabel tensed and glared. “Or,” she said raising her grappling hook threateningly, with more confidence then she felt. “You leave us alone and go away and I don’t hit you with my grappling hook again.” 

Bill actually tensed at the threat and his single eye narrowed on her. “You couldn’t do that twice,” he said slowly though his words were wary, “you don’t have a clue what you’re doing Shooting Star.”

”I don’t know,” she hefted the hooked device consideringly, eyes cold. She focused on that same protective burn from before and this time she did smell the sweet scent of cotton candy. So did Bill apparently for he tensed even further. “I think i’m starting to get the hang of it.” They glared at each other in tense silence for a moment, neither of them willing to back down as Dipper gasped desperately on his knees between them. Finally the fire dulled to blue and Bill grinned.

“Oooh, i’m gonna have fun training you two.” He cooed excitedly. “But for now,” with a snap of his fingers Dipper finally drew in a breath of air and collapsed to the ground, Mabel followed him, hands roving over him worriedly as Bill snickered. “For now I’ll let you two go, you’re easy enough to find anyway and hey,” he grinned as he floated back up into the air, and it was a purely demonic and covetous thing, “it wouldn’t be any fun if I didn’t get to break you first, now would it?” Both twins shivered and he laughed, taking off his top hat and bowing. “See you later saplings~!” He trilled before disappearing with a loud bang and a rain of snakes.

In his wake they both glared up at the sky for a moment before finally Mabel stood, helping Dipper slowly to his feet. He wobbled briefly and the long haired twin wrapped his arm around her shoulders, offering silent support that had him grinning at her. “Thanks Mabel, for saving me I mean.”

Mabel grinned back at him as they began to walk. “Don’t mention it bro bro, you would’ve done the same for me.”

Dipper nodded because it was true, he would do anything for Mabel. “Hey,” he said, “how’d you do that thing with your grappling hook?”

Her grin widened and cheerfully she replied, “I have no idea!” 

”Wha-” Dipper sputtered looking horrified, “so you were bluffing?”

”Yep!” Mabel chirped again, before her smile dimmed a bit. “Well, mostly. I think it had something to do with how badly I wanted to protect you. I just focused really hard on wanting to save you and hurt Bill and then Bill was in pain and you were with me.”

Dipper blinked at her, feeling a little touched that his sister felt that strongly about wanting to protect him. “We’re going to have to look into this.”

The long haired twin groaned, head tilting back in fake agony. “To the library?” She asked pathetically. 

”To the library.” Dipper agreed, amused despite himself. “We need to make sure that whatever you did, we can both do it and tenfold. I don’t think Bill’s going to give up.”

She shuddered at that, remembering that horrible wanting look on the demon’s face. “Me neither.” Mabel mumbled and then she was grinning again. “Doesn’t matter, we can take him,” her grin was turned on Dipper, bright and determined and full of fire, “together.”

After a moment, he couldn’t help but grin back, Mabel’s positive attitude was always so infectious. He didn’t know what he’d do without her. “Yeah,” he agreed, tugging her a little closer, “together.” He didn’t know what sort of powers these were or what Bill wanted from them, but so long as he had Mabel by his side, he could handle it.

Bill wouldn’t know what hit him.


End file.
